


Deus Ex Machina

by ProvenTitan



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (also i've always wanted to use this as a title fuck yeah), (no shit p.t. you don't update anything you post), Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gen, Gods, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hogwarts Third Year, Magical Inheritance, Magically Powerful Harry, Possible Future Crossover, Slow Updates, godlike Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 07:26:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9112645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProvenTitan/pseuds/ProvenTitan
Summary: At the end of his trying second year, all Harry wants to do it relax and ignore the fact that Aunt Marge is coming over. The last thing he expects to receive only days before his thirteenth birthday is a twelve-year old letter. Especially one from his mum.Within it lies the truth of his heritage, his power, and his future, but how on Earth is Harry supposed to cope, if his parents are from Olympus?





	

**Author's Note:**

> So my solution to any problem is running away from it, which is why I haven't updated anything in months, and it's also why I'm also starting something completely new. Tbh, it felt like this plotbunny waterboarded me until I wrote the bloody thing then disappeared into the horizon with the rest of my sanity.
> 
> tl;dr - don't expect much more of this one

The window of Number 4 Privet Drive was cracked slightly open, letting the heavy air of summer shift lazily through the hole. Harry Potter, boy wizard and now three-time defeater of Voldemort, lay on the bed with the sheets bunched at the end. It was far too hot for covers, even measly ones like the grim, grey set he possessed. He listened unenthusiastically for Hedwig, who had gone out to feed a few hours before, but in general it felt rather too much effort to do anything at all.

His thirteenth birthday was not for a couple more days, as it was really quite late (or early) on July 30th, about one in the morning, but Harry was too hot to sleep. He heard the grunting snores of his fat uncle through the walls for a second, followed by the bed springs' pained squeals as he turned over in his sleep. The night was calm and quiet for the most part, the heat like a blanket, muffling the outside to the point where when Hedwig swooped in from her hunt, it made Harry jump.

His sheepish smile faltered however, when he found a second owl had come through his window; a small, irritable-looking tawny. The letter it had attached to his leg was addressed  _"My Harry",_ in round green ink. His hand hesitated as he went to relieve the owl of its burden, his mind suddenly wondering if this was Ginny wanting to thank him for what happened at the end of last year. Looking at the ink again, he grimaced. Hopefully it wasn't from Ginny, it felt perhaps a little too presumptuous for her to be calling him  _her_ Harry, even after he rescued her from the Chamber.

He untied the letter and the owl swiftly took off and flew out of the window. Harry blinked. Apparently, whoever it was that sent the letter, they didn't want a reply. He glanced at Hedwig, puzzled, and then back at the letter. The green ink gleamed, as though it were freshly written, but the letters didn't smudge when his thumb ran over them. He turned the parchment over, his brown scrunched in confusion, and pulled the red sealing wax apart. Only after he had split the seal did Harry realise he could well have found out who had sent it by the seal's crest or initials.

Annoyed, he yanked the letter open, his eyes falling on the first few lines. His mind went numb, and his breath caught. The letter began to slip out of his frozen hands, and he grabbed at the parchment frantically, his wide eyes drinking up the words.

* * *

 

_Harry,_

_This is a letter from your mother, Lily. I know you might not believe what you’re about to read, but it’s vitally important to understand that both me and your father love you very much, despite what I am about to write. You will always be precious to me, my child._

_To begin with, I suppose I should start with the basics. I have never had to write this down before, so it may be ungainly and crude and I apologise in advance. I am usually never this nervous._

_Your father and I are not human. Lily and James are not our real names. This must be very shocking, but I hopefully you will understand if you continue to read._

_My true name is Persephone. You may recognise it as the name of the Goddess of Spring, from Ancient Greek mythology. This is no coincidence. I am Persephone. I am a goddess. And so are you._

_Your father is Hades. That is James’ real name. Even if you don’t know any of the Greek tales, you may well have heard of our story, however, the Wizarding World is primarily polytheist, with a great number of Greek inclination, so you will probably have been told about us. Nevertheless, I am quite aware of the human propensity for the distortion of fact through word of mouth (the oddly-named Chinese Whispers for example) and so I will explain._

_My life prior to you has been endlessly repeating. We are doomed to echo our pasts, and as such, whenever I can escape Hades, I come to Earth as a mortal, and the events that occur mirror that of our union. While we live our human lives, we know nothing of our godhood._

_When I was a goddess, I was well loved. I lived in a field of spring flowers that never wilted and my mother watched over me. She is Demeter, goddess of agriculture and farming. It was our combined power that kept the field ever-flowering. I loved it there._

_However, my mother was very protective of me. No husband would ever be good enough, and as such I remained totally sheltered from male contact. I’m sure you understand, without me being overly graphic, that this meant I was a virgin._

_I had many men who wished to court me, but none were every good enough for my mother. I wasn’t overly bothered. I had some abstract wish for a husband and family, but I was too fond of my flowers to really pursue such a desire, especially as Demeter would never be satisfied with anyone I chose._

_Despite this, I had one suitor far more devoted than the rest. Hades. He was relentless, but no matter what, he would never be good enough in the eyes of my mother. He opined to his brother, my father Zeus, but received the same answer – Demeter would never agree. Unfortunately, he took this, rather than a warning, as consent. Demeter could not refuse if she was not given the chance. So he resolved to kidnap me._

_Zeus told him where I lived. I don’t know why. Perhaps he didn’t want to cause conflict between his brother and himself; perhaps he truly thought Hades would be good to me. But the next day, Hades sprung up through a giant gulf into the meadow I lived in._

_As you might expect, I didn’t want to go with him. I had heard only bad things about him from my mother. When I told him this, he told me he would show me that he could give me pleasure rather than pain._

_I’d rather not go into what happened next. I’m sure you would rather I not. To be honest, it is still difficult for me to think about, but after that, he succeeded in stealing me away to the Underworld. I learned later that his actions caused the fields I had my home in to lose all of their petals._

_Whilst he shut me away in the Underworld, he was not unkind. My mother was raging above, desperate to find me. After days of searching, it was Hecate, goddess of magic, that helped her. They went to Helios, who had witnessed my capture. As the sun, he saw everything that happened during the day, and eventually told Demeter that it had been Hades who had stolen me. He also told her that Zeus had permitted it. Mother was furious._

_She laid siege to the ground, refusing anything to grow. As she was being starved of me, she would starve all the Earth. The gods too, could not grow anything. Field, cattle and livestock died in droves. Nothing escaped her wrath._

_It was at this point Zeus was told of the results of Hades’ actions, and he ordered a meeting with Mother. She told him she knew he had let this happen, and that nothing on Earth would grow if he did not bring their daughter back from Hades. Whilst Zeus could not let the world starve, he knew Hades was powerful, and refused to anger him. He told Demeter that that if I had remained in the Underworld against my will, he would bring me back, but maintained Hades would make a good husband._

_However, when Hermes the messenger god was sent to retrieve me, he unwittingly warned Hades of Zeus’ condition. Hades had not been unkind to me, wishing for me to be comfortable in my gilded prison, but he knew that I would have left if I could. Knowing I had not eaten, he showed me a fruit I’d never seen, a pomegranate. I loved fruit, and he bid me try some of the seeds. I ate. The taste of those six seeds remains on my tongue to this day._

_When we were called up by Zeus to discuss whether I was to remain in the Underworld, my mind was muddy and vague. Unbeknownst to me, eating the food of Hades means you belong to the Underworld. When Zeus asked me where my home was, I replied it was with my husband. My mother could not believe my answer and insisted Hades had tricked me, swearing she would never let anything grow again._

_Whilst they were arguing, I found that the pomegranate seeds I had eaten were stuck in my throat. It drew Demeter’s attention. I coughed up the six seeds, not knowing this proved my mother’s claim, and she grew furious. Zeus declared that both my husband and my mother had equal claim over my time, and therefore I would also be split. Eating six seeds meant I belonged in the Underworld, but I refused to let the Earth waste away, so I resolved to give the Underworld six months of me, and my mother six. Autumn and winter I spent underground, to return to Demeter for spring and summer._

_At the time, mortals used this tale to give them meaning for the seasonal changes. However, my life repeats this tale every time I become mortal. No matter what, the core principles stay the same. We meet, he steals me away, I live with him and grow fond. We marry and have a child. Only ever one._

_Some things change. Sometimes he is kind to me and wins me over. Sometimes he is cruel. At times I go willingly with him, and others he kidnaps me in the truest sense. It is not always a happy ending._

_The story is true still for our lives as Lily Evans and James Potter. At first sight, I disliked James immensely, refusing his affections for seven years. Your father was uncommonly patient in this life, but by our seventh year of Hogwarts, we were together. Sometimes, unintentional ‘stealing’ replaces a literal abduction, and this occurred during our sixth year, when my parents died and I went to live with James. I was pregnant within months of graduating Hogwarts, and I loved you from the moment I knew._

_My life with my husband is complicated, and difficult to describe. There are times that I love him, and there are times that I wish I could kill myself before he would be able to stop me. Despite this, I have never not loved any of my children, including you. Especially you. Because this life is different._

_This is the only life that we have both died too soon to tell you what you are. Harry, you too are a god. All of our children are gods, and when they’re ready, we tell them so they can decide where to go. Some have come with us to the Underworld, and some go to Olympus. It’s up to you to decide, but first you must live as a human._

_You must learn your powers before you transcend, or else you will not be able to live as a god._

_It is important for us to say that we don’t know what kind of god you will be, and what powers you will have. With our other children, we find out as they grow and develop, but as of now you have only just been born, which also means we have only just remembered who we are. As a god, your powers will tear you apart if you do not learn to control them first as a human._

_In the past, we have been able to teach our children the ways of the gods, but now, it is up to you. I’m so sorry, Harry. We remember our past lives only once we’ve completed the cycle, when we marry and birth a child. The only way I know to write this letter is because James told me that our deaths will be soon. I never did have a child with Hades as Persephone, and while the endless mortal cycles are frustrating, they have given me the ability to have children like you._

_I love you son._

_Mum_

**_P.S. I’m sorry this is so rushed, but I must tell you of Hecate, as she has always been good to my children on Olympus, and I owe her much. She was the only one to ever help my mother of her own will. In thanks for her kindness, I pledged my line to her._ ** _**Whenever we are human, I pay homage to her, and she becomes the patron of my house. Every child I teach to do the same whilst they are human – and this includes you. In return, Hecate blesses us with mortal magic, so we are not so estranged from our natural selves whilst in the form of humans. You must pay homage to Hecate. Knockturn will sell you an altar.**_

**_Mum_ **

**Author's Note:**

> lol did u expect any more? i've got one more chapter of this written and that's about all you're ever getting so fuck yeah go me


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